Natural History of Spain: Teaching Students About Nature and Culture in a Foreign Country Gorka Sancho & Deborah A. Bidwell Gorka Sancho (
[email protected]) is an Associate Professor and Deborah A. Bidwell (
[email protected]) is a Senior Instructor in the Biology Department at the College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29424 U.S.A. An ideal liberal arts and sciences undergraduate education in the 21st century should expose students to the natural world as well as to different human cultures. Unique to the College of Charleston’s semester abroad program in Spain, our Natural History of Spain course is designed to provide students with both immersion in natural history, as well as simultaneous immersion in foreign language and culture. Lengthy field excursions focus on basic nature observation and field annotation skills, exposing students to the unique flora and fauna of Spain across multiple ecosystems. An integrative approach comparing and contrasting environmental, cultural, and rural land use issues in Spain and the United States promotes conservation and emphasizes critical thinking skills. During semester-long offerings, Spanish language coursework and cultural immersion through lodging with host families rounds out the interdisciplinary course of study. Our approach allows for an in-depth and truly internationalized perspective, resulting in an integrative immersion in Spanish nature and culture that is grounded in time and place. Students responses highlight the importance of field trips and extended time spent immersed in natural settings as essential to their learning and overall experience. One hundred percent of students rated their international experience positively. Citation.— Sancho, G., and D.A.